How to care for outdoor wooden garden furniture

Extend the life of your timber furniture with a little maintenance

First of all the question is how do you want your timber garden furniture to look; do you want it to remain pristine and the same colour as when purchased, do you want to let it weather to a silvery/grey, do you want it painted to go with the design of your outdoor space or do you want it to acquire lichens, mosses and algae to blend in with a quintessential English country garden? The answer to this question will determine how you clean and treat your furniture and whether you go for a hardwood or a softwood product. Hardwoods are much more durable and long-lasting than softwoods and generally include courbaril, cumaru, eucalyptus, iroko, oak, roble and teak. Softwood is generally pine but doesn’t last as long but it can be painted.

General

Apply any protectors or treatments on a dry day with a little breeze, above 5C (41F).

If the furniture has been neglected for a long time and acquired a covering of mosses, lichens and algae scrape them off or else use a stiff brush. Then sand down to reveal new wood.

Don’t use a pressure washer to clean as if there is a nick in the wood the pressure can cause it to splinter; also the force can knock over and damage the furniture.

Mildew forms when conditions are warm and damp and there is a poor air flow; for example if the furniture is covered too tightly in non-breathable covers. Remove the dark stain with a very mild bleach solution but test it first on an unobtrusive area as it could discolour the wood. You can also use a weak solution of white wine vinegar and warm water, but again do a test patch first.

If you are covering your furniture in winter make sure you use a good quality furniture cover which will be breathable and leave a gap at the bottom so that air can circulate. This will lessen the chances of mildew and fungi growing.

Always scrub or sand along the grain of the wood.

Avoid getting sunscreen lotions on the wood as this can turn it black and will be very difficult to remove. If you are going to regularly use garden furniture while wearing a sunscreen consider purchasing a good quality weave set as this material is impervious to the sunscreen.

Standing your furniture on a hard surface such as paving, decking or gravel will minimise the chances of the legs rotting. Also, in winter, don’t leave the furniture standing parallel to the ground, leave it stood at a tilt to stop water pooling on the surfaces.

Hardwood or softwood?

Hardwood

Advantages:

Long lasting

Will stand outside uncovered in winter

Requires little maintenance

Disadvantages:

Expensive initial outlay

Can’t be painted

Softwood

Advantages:

Fairly cheap initial outlay

Can be painted

Disadvantages:

Needs regular maintenance

Benefits from some protection in winter

Caring for hardwood

Once a year give the furniture a good brush and wash down with a mild solution of washing-up liquid in warm water. Rinse off and allow to dry naturally.

Teak weathers from the brand new reddish/brown to a silver/grey, so if you don’t want this to happen then you must apply a teak protector.

Only apply a teak oil to new teak furniture to prevent it splitting and cracking, but be careful when using the furniture that the oil doesn’t transfer to your clothes.

Don’t use oil or a sealant on new oak as it will turn black.

You can’t paint hardwood as you won’t get an even coverage due to the high oil content and it may not dry completely.

Watch the video showing you how easy it is to assemble a solid teak garden bench

Caring for softwood

Wash down each year with a wood cleaning product then treat with a stain or paint; there is now a huge colour range of weatherproof timber paints. You may have to do this every year.

Furniture made from softwood must be treated otherwise it will only last a couple of years, before it starts cracking, the joints will shrink and become loose, water will penetrate once it is cracked and then it will start rotting.

If you have previously stained the furniture and now require a lighter colour it will have to be stripped back to the natural wood, then you can start again with a new stain.

Only buy softwood furniture if it has been tanalised and carries 10 or 15 year warranties; most reputable suppliers’ softwood furniture will be treated and carry a guarantee.

Preserve your softwood with an oil based paint or varnish, such as Cuprinol.

Angela Slater

Daughter of a farmer and market gardener so have always had a connection with the outdoors, whether it was keeping animals or producing fruit, vegetables and cut flowers. Along with my work at Hayes Garden World I also have a smallholding, mainly breeding rare breed pigs. I gained an HND and BSc in Conservation and Environmental Land Management, as a result I am an ardent environmentalist and have a keen interest in environmentally friendly gardening. In my time at Hayes I worked for several years in the Outdoor Plant and Houseplant areas